Lovely Bliss
by RWingflyr
Summary: Too good for a summary, or I just can't think of a decent one. Mushy love story. LS


Yo! RWingflyr here. This is my first shot at a mushy love story (can you tell I really like Saria? I've used her in each of my Zelda stories!) Anyway, R/R the following but don't forget my other stories. N-joy!!! B-ware, flame and be flamed.

Disclaimer: "The Legend of Zelda" and all its names, characters and places are copyrights of Nintendo.

**Lovely Bliss**

The forest was alive. Fairies danced, flowers bloomed, and small woodland creatures chirped indignantly from the trees at the frolicking children which had chased them up there. Laughing echoed through the air like a joyous aria from an ocarina. One of these children was different from the others. Her emerald being seemed almost to blend with the lush foliage, but in fact she glowed with the utmost radiance one would have to be blind not to notice her flowing green hair, gentle smile and the prettiest blue eyes in all of Hyrule. This girl was a friend to all of the forest, but to one such element in particular, she was perhaps closer to him than a mother to her child; his name was Link.

"Link, aren't you coming down to play?" The young girl asked excitedly from the base of the boy's treehouse.

What the girl didn't know was that Link had kept a keen eye on her, following her every step with eager enthusiasm. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach whenever the cute girl mentioned his name to him. "Yes, Saria, I'm coming."

_Saria…_Ever since he'd known her, that name – as far as Link was concerned – could've been Hylian for "the prettiest forest girl". Link had always wanted to tell Saria what she really meant to him, but being the shy young boy he was, he was always hesitant to tell her.

Link, Saria and the other children cavorted happily in front of Mido's house despite his constant pleas for peace and quiet. Link chased the other Kokiri around the forest with a wooden mask over his face pretending to be a monster and waving his arms.

"Grrrrr! I am the evil Gablor monster and I am coming to get you!" The girls squealed in excitement and the boys ran for a place to hide. Link chased the girls around further until Saria picked up a stick and confronted the disguised boy.

"Halt, evil Gablor!" She stated defiantly. "I am the Hero of Time and this sword will be the end of you, foul creature!" Link pretended to be scared and turned heel to run. Saria giggled as she gave chase, waving the stick at Link as he ran away, but he didn't see the jutting rock in front of him. With a yelp, Link tripped and rolled down a short hill, ultimately landing on his back. Slightly dazed, he slowly removed his mask and saw the pretty Kokiri girl standing over him triumphantly. She gently poked Link's chest with the stick sword.

"You're dead, Gablor." Saria said with a disarming smile. Link groaned as Saria helped him to his feet and brushed off the forest debris from his tunic. She held Link's hand as they strolled through the forest.

_"That's it."_ Link thought as the charming girl held his small hand. _"I need to let Saria know how I feel. I can't live with myself if I don't."_ Link first needed to seek advice, and he knew exactly where to go.

Before any other Kokiri had awakened the next morning, Link eagerly ran to the meadow of the Great Deku Tree, hoping his advice would lead him in the right direction.

"Dearest Link," the wise plant asked, "art thou troubled?"

Link shuffled his feet. "Well, not really. I-I-I have something to admit and I'm hoping you can help me."

"My dear boy, I am always helpful to all my Kokiri children. Tell me, what dost thou ask of me?"

"Well, sir, I…" Link scratched his head nervously. "I think I like Saria, but I'm too scared right now to tell her."

The Deku Tree smiled. "I see. From what I have seen, the bond of your friendship is very strong. What exactly were you wanting to tell her?"

"I don't know, maybe that I don't just like her but that I...love…" Link said timidly. He was evidently nervous about telling Saria his feelings. "Oh, Deku Tree, I don't know!"

The boy's expression fell in disappointment, but the Deku Tree didn't want to dishearten the boy. "Do not worry, Link. I will help thee." Link's face brightened. "Come back at sunset, and tell Saria to come see me as soon as possible, but do not tell my other children."

Link flashed a wide grin. "Yes, Great Deku Tree! Thank you!"

Save for one, the other Kokiri children were still asleep. Rays of sunlight filtered through the dense foliage as the sun rose over the east horizon. In a somewhat inconspicuous part of the forest sat a small pond. Link had failed to find his secret crush inside her own home, but from there he heard a faint soothing humming sound in the distance. Hopeful that it was Saria, he dashed toward the source of the gentle sound. He came upon the small pond and indeed found his friend, but the sight he saw was not what he expected in the least. The green-haired girl stood au naturel, waist deep in the water oblivious to Link's presence, rubbing a wet cloth on her bare neck. She almost looked like a complete stranger to him because her hair had been let down, but the sound of her dulcet young voice surrendered her identity. Eyes darting left and right, Link frantically searched for a place to hide before he finally dove to his right behind a large oak, upsetting a pile of leaves and small twigs in the process. He yanked his cap off and bit it hard, sweating profusely.

_"Oh boy, wasn't this just the perfect time to show up?"_ Link belittled himself mentally. _"What was I thinking barging in here like this while she's bathing?" _He clenched his eyes shut but the sound of rippling water broke them open immediately. Panting nervously, he cautiously moved part of a bush out of the way to see where Saria was; she had moved to a side of the pond and covered herself with a lush green bough of a willow tree. Link's face flushed with embarrassment.

"Link, is that you?" She asked, trying to find the boy amongst the dense greenery.

Link smothered his face with his free hand and sighed. He brought his cap to his face and held it there while he slowly emerged from his hiding place; he surely wasn't going to be caught looking at his best friend naked. "I'm over here!" He said in a muffled tone, waving a hand in the air. When Saria saw him, she began laughing.

"Link, what are you doing? You look silly!"

Link turned toward the voice. "The Deku Tree wants to see you whenever you're, um, whenever you're done." He said nervously.

The girl peeped out a giggle. "Thank you, but why are you covering your face?" She already knew why, but Saria always thought Link was funny whenever he stuttered around her.

Link stood as if contemplating the answer but turned and ran, almost tripping as he did so. Saria simply smiled and stared at the spot where Link had just stood mere moments before. _"Oh, Link. You're so cute when you're funny like that."_

Clean and fully clothed, Saria stood before the Great Deku Tree.

"You wanted to see me, Deku Tree?"

"Indeed, child." The tree boomed. "I have a request to ask of thee."

"Of course, anything."

"Indeed. A fellow Kokiri has requested that thou return here at sunset tonight."

Saria looked puzzled. "Yes, Deku Tree, but why me?" Saria normally didn't ask questions of the Great Deku Tree, but her being singled out sparked her curiosity.

"He will tell you himself tonight, child. Thou may go, but do not tell my fellow children about this." Saria nodded and left.

_"Who could it be?"_ Saria thought. _"It couldn't be…him, could it?"_ She gazed up at Link as she passed by his house. He was calmly drawing on the side of his house with a burnt stick when he simply waved at her. Saria waved back and disappeared into her adjacent dwelling. She lied on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

_"Could it be?"_ She would soon find out.

The sun painted the sky a deep orange as it settled over the western horizon, warning the Kokiri children that bedtime was approaching – except for two, whose secret mutual feelings would soon be expressed to each other.

Link stared at the setting sun and inhaled a deep breath, exhaling slowly. _"This is it. Here I go."_ He descended the ladder to his home and raced to the Deku Tree's meadow. By the time he arrived, a small table flanked by two stump benches sat in front of the Deku Tree. On the table sat two plates of food and a candle. _"The Deku Tree must've done this."_

"Link!" That very familiar voice caused him to turn around; Saria had just arrived and was running toward him. Link tried to hide his anticipation as she approached. She wagged a finger at him playfully. "Somehow I knew it was you…" She gasped in surprise when she saw the table. "Oh Link, is this for me? It's so beautiful, thank you!" Saria ran up to the table to get a closer look at the food while Link followed her. Her expression lit up when she saw what was served. "Deku Berry Pie! Thank you, Link, but I've never told you I liked Deku Berry Pie, how did you know?" She sat down and picked up the wooden utensils and started eating the purple-speckled dessert.

"I, um, I didn't." Link said, shrugging. He wasn't about to tell Saria that the Deku Tree helped him prepare this evening.

Saria just shook her head, smiling. "Link, you don't have to be modest. Now eat your pie before I do." She giggled.

Link obliged and picked up the utensil but before he sank it into the dessert he gazed across at his female friend. The glowing candlelight flickered and danced in the girl's entrancing sapphire stare; its radiance glistened on her joyful face and illuminated both children in its fiery blaze beneath the starlit heavens.

"Link," the young boy awoke from his trance watching Saria daintily wipe her mouth with a small cloth, "the Deku Tree told me to come here because you had something to tell me." Saria rested her delicate chin on her entwined little fingers and leaned forward on her elbows. She fluttered her lashes with a smile that seemed to know what Link had to say before he said it, but she wanted to actually hear what it was. "Go on, tell me."

Link took a deep breath, a deeper breath than he had ever because he was about to say something he had meant to say for a long time. "Saria, I…" he scratched his head nervously. "I like you more than just as a friend. I love you."

The statement struck its recipient hard. Saria stood up and covered her mouth in shock. When Link saw her expression, he threw his face into his hands and sighed.

_"Great, now I've done it. Now she'll think I'm some sort of freak…"_ Link's thought was interrupted when he felt himself being embraced snugly by a pair of feminine arms and hands; something he didn't expect in the least. Link opened his eyes and hesitantly returned the kind gesture. He could feel Saria's warm breath on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Link." Saria said gently. "I feel the same way about you."

This time Link was the one who was shocked. "Really? You do?" His expression was that of disbelief. "Wow, um, I don't know what to say…"

Saria placed a finger to the boy's lips. "Don't say anything." She whispered but a giggle inadvertently escaped her lips. "You've got some pie on your face, Link."

Link wiped one side of his face with his hand but found nothing. "Where? I can't find it."

Saria smiled again. "Silly, boy." She nestled close to Link and looked as if she were inspecting the white speck on his cheek. She gradually leaned closer to him. "It's…right…" she was mere inches from his face, "here…" At that moment, Saria's lips softly caressed Link's cheek with a friendly kiss. Link just closed his eyes and let the intimate sensation traverse throughout his youthful being. Shivers ran up and down his spine while the enamored girl held to him closely. Link hugged her as she at last lay her head on his shoulder. The exotically fragrant aroma of Saria's jade tresses mixed with the brisk night air wafted across Link's nose; the scent was heavenly.

"Link, I'm tired. Could you carry me home, please?" The bright sparkle in Saria's azure gaze became concealed from her eyelids drooping from weariness. Blowing out the candle, Link positioned himself so that Saria sat in a piggyback position on his back. He hoisted her legs up and leaned forward so Saria was almost horizontal on his back to prevent her from falling. Her arms slumped over Link's shoulders as he grunted from the living mass he carried on his back. Being but a child, Link wasn't physically strong enough to carry anything close to his own weight, but for Saria he made an exception. They were close friends and Link was more than willing to help his tired friend, even if it meant using every conceivable ounce of energy he had to carry her. When he ultimately reached the girl's home, the moon shone brightly over the silent forest village. Standing next to her bed, Link gingerly lowered Saria to the floor and lifted her onto the bed, pulling a nearby blanket over her. Link simply stood at the bed and stared at Saria's sleeping face. It was perhaps the most beautiful face he had ever seen in his short life; it was a face that could brighten anyone's gloomy day. Link brushed a stray hair from Saria's face just before she turned onto her side and faced him.

Link smiled. Not a more beautiful girl existed in the entire world.

_"Link…"_ The young boy stirred in his sleep at the thought that someone had called his name in the middle of the night.

_"Link, wake up. It is I, the Deku Tree…"_

Grumbling, Link finally sat up and rubbed his tired eyes. "What do you want?"

_"Link, ye must hurry to the Sacred Forest Meadow. Please do not ask why, just go now."_

Whenever the Deku Tree wanted something done, it must be really important. Without hesitation, Link scrambled down his ladder and scampered through the silent night toward the meadow.

Pale moonlight shone through the round window in the Kokiri girl's home, illuminating the gentle curves of her face as she slept peacefully.

_CRACK_

The sound of twigs breaking beneath small feet woke up the emerald-haired girl. Saria hurried outside to discover who was awake, not realizing she had to duck through the door to get out…

_"Saria…"_ Her head snapped in the direction of the Deku Tree's meadow.

_"My child, look at thyself."_

Saria looked downward and gasped in shock. The ground was a bit farther away and her figure had matured somewhat. Saria opened her mouth to say something but empty words were all she could muster as she felt the more elegant curves her body now possessed, making sure she wasn't dreaming. She had the form of a young adult. The words of the Deku Tree again entered her mind.

_"Do not worry, my child. Thy maturity was my doing. Now make haste to thy sacred meadow."_ Saria turned to obey but she stopped when the Deku Tree called her again. _"Thy present form is only temporary, so ye will return to thy true form on the morrow."_ Returning to a sprint, Saria rushed to her sacred meadow, wondering what was waiting for her when she got there.

The distant Sacred Forest Meadow glowed luminously. Its radiance shafted through the stairway and illuminated the tops of the trees that compiled the arboreal maze before it. Never before had so much pure magic radiated from the hallowed sanctuary. Saria slowly strolled up the stairs to the bright meadow, basking in its mysterious light. Halting at the top of the stairs, she caught a tall figure standing in the middle of the meadow staring back at her. It was Link, this time as the young man everyone knew as the Hero of Time. The fairies danced in the air with marvelous exuberance.

Even from a distance, Saria could see the adult Link smile and extend a hand in invitation. When Saria stepped a timid foot inside the magic meadow, a powerful transformation enveloped her. Numerous tiny streams of fairy dust encircled Saria in swift spirals as the magical meadow worked its wonders on her. The girl closed her eyes as she allowed the forest power to overcome her. When the dust trails became nothing but rapid blurs, an intense light exploded from where the girl stood, causing Link to shield his eyes from the energetic sparkle. What he saw after the light subsided was nothing less of extraordinary.

The Saria that now stood before Link looked absolutely captivating. A smooth, elegant satin gown covered her body with exquisite emerald beauty. Trimmed with lace at the flowing bottom, the dress fit the girl's figure perfectly. The gown left the feminine outline of her back, neck and shoulders completely naked to the enchanted environment around them. All that held up the gorgeous costume was a small thread of jade pearls running from beneath Saria's arms to behind her slender neck. This effectively supported and lifted the girl's womanly bosoms, accentuating her feminine splendor. Her bountiful hair now elevated above her head in a large bun. Wildflowers and white roses adorned her head as a sort of crown. Long, graceful curls hung in several places and highlighted the girl's appealing face. The face itself was embellished with exquisiteness. Small jewels dotted around her eyes and green eyeshadow, flecked with golden glitter, rested on her eyelids. Glitter also speckled Saria's shoulders and upper arms and chest. Her silky skin even seemed to achieve a more divine brilliance.

Only two words rested in Link's mind at the moment: beauty incarnate.

"Wow, Saria, you look amazing." Link managed to say. One would swear that she was the physical embodiment of the goddess Farore, only much prettier.

"Why, thank you, Link." Saria appeared to glide on her bare feet along the forest grass as she approached him. "Why am I like this? Did you know this would happen?"

Link stared back at his equally mature friend. "No. I honestly didn't know that was going to happen. The same thing happened to me when I came here."

Saria nudged her glittery arms underneath Link's and held him close. "That's okay, and I believe you." She rested her head on his shoulder. Link could smell the fragrant essence emanating from the flowers in the girl's hair as he returned the embrace. He could feel her sultry feminine figure against him as held her bare back. It possessed the same smooth feeling as the satin gown. "I'm also glad you told me how you feel about me." Saria looked at the ground, somewhat nervous. "For a long time, I had that feeling that you thought I was a special friend. Now I feel better knowing that it's the truth."

Saria was slightly shorter than Link, so the blond hero raised her chin and gazed into her effeminate blue eyes. "It is the truth and always will be." Link leaned forward slightly and kissed her shoulder. Saria closed her eyes and smiled appreciatively at the gesture. As a result, she leaned her head back and to the side to allow the region of her neck and upper chest to be exposed to the light. The next kiss placed further up on her shoulder, this one more stimulating than the latter. Each subsequent kiss tickled Saria's nerves profoundly. Her heart pulsating rapidly inside her heaving chest, she began panting deeply from the increasingly arousing sensation. The kisses continued to travel upwards along the girl's sinuous neck until at last they reached her supple jawline.

_"Oh, goddesses of Hyrule, this can't be happening, this is too good to be true!"_ Saria now felt Link's kisses touching just below her elfin ear. Tightness in her chest told her to do something, and she did it. Holding the back of Link's neck and head, she forcefully pulled him into an impassioned kiss. Link embraced Saria tightly while they both shut their eyes and allowed their heartfelt passions for each other flood the Sacred Forest Meadow. Tears of happiness seeped from beneath the emerald eyelids and trickled over and through the tiny jewels that rested next to her azure eyes. The tiny emeralds gleamed from the small orbs of moisture dribbling across its surface and down her face, ultimately dripping onto the glitter-freckled chest. The minute viridian sparkles shimmered as tears dropped profusely from Saria's visage onto them.

"Link," Saria's breath quivered. "I could never say in words what you really mean to me." Instinctively, she reached behind her neck and pulled on the strand of pearls. It was the only thing holding the dress to her figure. Realizing what Saria was about to do, Link snatched her hand away from the string. Saria stared at him somewhat puzzled and disappointed.

"Saria," Link began, "please don't. You are the most beautiful thing to me but please don't do it, I could never look upon you in the manner I do now, as a friend." A look of regret crossed the girl's features. "I love you and I would never allow you to stain yourself with immoral fancies. You mean too much to me for me to allow that."

Saria sighed and shut her eyes. "You're right, Link. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry."

Link embraced the girl and ran a hand through her soft, smooth hair. "That's okay. This is good enough."

Saria once again rested her head on Link's shoulder. "Yes. Yes it is." The loving couple stood in the middle of the magical meadow, lost in each other's embrace through the mystical night.

Sunlight filtered into the child's arboreal home, enticing him to wake up and enjoy the glorious day it provided. Not until the sound of a lively, sweet-sounding voice did the boy awaken.

"Link, wake up! You're going to sleep half the day away! Hurry up so we can play!"

Without hesitation, the boy jumped into his boots and hastily slid down the ladder where his best friend Saria stood waiting anxiously for him. Together, they ran off into the midst of the forest with the other children to play their Kokiri forest games.

These two special children share a unique, special bond. The undying union they share cannot be broken nor taken away. This bond extends beyond their evident companionship into a sacred place; a place where love runs free as a bird in the open air; a place only this special union can go to experience. These two friends visited such a place just mere moments before to profess their feelings for each other. Although these memories may have disappeared into the heavens, these young children will share the bonds of their love in their hearts forever.

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How about that? Was it good? Please R/R!!! (Don't forget my other stories!!!)


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